The Celta Key
by zeldapkmn
Summary: Xeno, on a foreign planet, has his friend; Starvi, captured by an evil force called the Grey. To get her back he has to assemble a team, and defeat the Grey. But for that to happen, he has to go through the treacherous Celta Dungeons.


"Ugghhh…."Xeno moaned. He had just woken up, and he really wasn't in the mood for Starvi teleporting in his house, and babbling about some dream she just had. He should have never given her the access key. "… and then there was a pony, but it wasn't really a pony, it was a unicorn!" Starvi said. "Ummm… Star?" said Xeno. "Yeah?" replied Starvi. "Uhhh….cool dream!" said Xeno. "Thanks, I dreamt it myself!" she said proudly. It hurt to be mean to her especially after last year. "Okay, thanks Xeno!" she concluded. Then she jollily pranced out of his house.

He gazed out of his window at Haven City. He sighed with content. He then strode over to his safe, where he kept his most prized possession. It contained so many memories. Just then, Permia and Chad walked in. Permia was a striking figure, black hair flowing behind her shoulders, prominent nose, thin cheekbones, and tall, but built. Chad was a gentle giant. He was beefy, but with a soft heart. They saw Xeno clutching his safe, exchanged glances, and then proceeded to slowly back up out of the room. They knew what it meant to him. He opened the safe using his hand scanner, which bathed him in a luminescent lime green light. He extracted it: the key. It had been very long ago…..

"Hurry up Starvi!" Xeno shouted. She was too busy in combat with a techzin. They were filthy creatures, made of rusty metal, and strongly resembled pigs. Except they had humanoid legs. Three, to be exact. "Coming!" she sang. She use telekinesis to lift the techzin up in the air, then hurled it into an oak tree about 20 yards away. It lay there for a couple of hours. She flew ahead of them and scouted the area.

"All clear" she yelled, as she was a great distance off of solid ground. "Wait, what's that….aaaahhhhh!" Starvi was snatched out of the air by some unseen force.

"STARVI!" Xeno and Permia cried. Chad just stood there. They both sprinted toward the general location Starvi was taken, weapons unsheathed. It was a second or two before they realized Chad wasn't moving. "What's wrong Chad?" Permia inquired. Chad unsteadily pointed at someone. If not for Chad's enhanced vision and hearing, they would've missed him completely. It was The Grey. He smiled, feral teeth showing. He had Starvi! In a split second he disappeared. "Greyhame!" Xeno screamed. He furiously rushed toward the spot The Grey had previously been. Permia restrained him, veins showing from the effort. "It's no use. He probably set a trap there," she said grimly. At that moment, a Juggernaut lumbered into the clearing. Juggernauts are usually ebony or albino lions, in a bulky suit made of diamond and reinforced steel. Only a tempered blade made of brightsteel (the sharpest and strongest substance on Planet X) could cut their armor, except magic. It had a transparent glass dome above its head for protection, and was about nine feet in stature. Permia almost instantly launched a fireball at its breastplate. "Nice reflexes!" Xeno complimented. Then the Juggernaut drove its large fist into Xeno's stomach, and he doubled over, breathless. Meanwhile, nobody had noticed Chad stealthily ascending the oblivious Juggernaut's back like a ladder. He made it to the dome. Then he penetrated the dome with a Lasera Dagger, First Class. The glass cracked, then shattered to a million pieces. The Juggernaut roared with agony as a bolt of lightning struck its exposed head. It crumpled like a sack of flower, and lay lifeless on the ground smoking. Permia grinned as the three of them rested there for a second, panting. Xeno was the first to rise. "We need to save Starvi!" he gasped.

"You don't say," said Permia muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. Chad was silent. His encounter with The Grey left him speechless. Years ago, The Grey and his band of followers (consisting mostly of techzins and Juggernauts) had gone a rampage, and wiped out Chad's defenseless village, including his family, for no reason other than arson and pillage. He was the only survivor. "Hey, it's going to be fine buddy!" Xeno said brightly. "Can't you see he wants to be left alone?" Permia admonished. "No… it's all right," Chad mumbled. Permia and Xeno started bickering about what a person's looks like when he/she wants to be solitary and isolated. "Um… guys?" Chad asked timidly. "What!" Permia snapped. Xeno smirked and gave Chad a thumbs-up. "Shouldn't we be headed toward Celta Dungeons?" Chad asked smiling at Xeno. Celta Dungeons was Greyhame's current residence. "He's right!" Xeno exclaimed. "He's right!" Permia mocked in a high-pitched tone. So it went. They trudge through Bernsfield Plains, and passed by Shimmer Lake. They finally arrived at Celta Dungeons, and the whole party was exhausted. Three techzins awaited them. Xeno thrust at the first one with his sword called Dragonix, Permia made the second simply turn to ash and float away in the breeze, and Chad strung his bow, and released his arrow in a flash at the third. They never stood a chance. They were surprised at their own ferocity, except Permia, who was a merciless soldier. Xeno barked out subtle orders. "Permia, smoke them. Chad, eliminate." Permia obeyed reluctantly, as she had no energy to argue. She tossed a spherical ball of smoke over the wall. As soon as Xeno heard coughing, he gestured to Chad. Chad nodded and agilely leaped over the wall. Shortly after, the sound of falling bodies reached them. Chad returned, and the team opened the gate with Chad's omnitool. They cautiously approached the brass door not knowing what lied in wait. Xeno opened the door slowly, and a dimly lit and dilapidated hallway greeted them. Cells were lined up on the sides of the hallway. They slowly walked across the hallway, checking every cell. In the eleventh cell to the left, they discovered a skeleton. It bore Starvi's pearl necklace. Permia screamed with utter terror. "Well, well, well, look what we have here." The Grey stood at the end of the hallway. In his hand, was Starvi, whimpering. He transported her to a cell using teleportation. The relief that Starvi was alive was palpable. Permia summoned a spike out of thin air and threw it at the Grey, who deflected it with ease into the cell next to him. Unfortunately, the cell had a host. They heard a man scream, and a sinister red puddle appeared by the cell. They Grey cackled with insane pleasure. "YOU MONSTER!" Xeno shouted, while charging toward him. The Grey shot a dark sphere at Xeno, who flew into the opposite wall. He groaned. Chad then noticed the key on his belt. "The Celta Key!" he thought. The others seemed to have realized the same. They had concocted a plan, using telepathy. Permia launched an icicle at him, while Chad threw a knife, aiming for the key. The knife found its mark, and pinned the key to the wall. The icicle, however, was blocked, and fell to the floor in front of him. Permia shook her finger, smiling mischievously, and detonated the icicle which was in reality a snap-flash, which created a flash, hence the name. But the flash was all they needed. The flash faded away, and Greyhame saw a sharp object through his chest. That was his final thought as he collapsed. Xeno jerked the key out of the wall, and then opened the cell which held Starvi. The rest of the cells were empty, except the one with the man. Xeno silently prayed that there were janitors in this run-down jail. Starvi staggered out of the cell, and then fainted.

"Ahhh… good times," Xeno thought, back to the present. He then fell back asleep.


End file.
